It gets crowded around Christmas
by anotherOUATwriter
Summary: Christmas is a time to love, to cherish peace and enjoy with your family. Unless you're family is pretty messed up, like Henry's. So when his grandmother tells him that Saint Nicholas grants wishes for Christmas, he wishes the thing he yearned the most: to have his family together for christmas. / AU-ish. COMPLETE
1. December 1st

So, this will be a christmas special. It will be short but daily updates - unless I die before christmas.

Thanks to Wolfergirl, my awesome mushroom who corrected this :)

Before I forget: I don't own OUAT - yet - muahahahahahahahaha :P

M.

* * *

Mary Margaret passed by the kitchen when she saw her grandson staring at a white piece of paper. His head rested on his bent arms and he looked lost. It confused her because she hadn't given them any homework lately. "What are you doing, Henry?"

"I'm trying to write a letter to Santa," the boy replied. "I just don't know what I want." He looked at Mary Margaret. "Did you have Christmas?"

"Back at the Enchanted Forest?" Mary Margaret asked. Henry nodded. "Of course we did. But it was slightly different."

"Can you tell me about it?" Henry asked excitedly, accidentally dropping the pencil.

She sat in front of him. "Well, for starters, we didn't have Christmas per se," Mary Margaret started talking, "We celebrated the Winter Solstice, but I guess it would be the corresponding holiday to Christmas," the teacher shrugged.

She never really thought about it. Before the curse was broken they celebrated Christmas because it was the 'normal' thing to do in this new world, and after the curse had been broken, everyone had been so busy that she didn't really have time to remember about their traditions at the Enchanted Forrest. The brunette returned her attention to Henry and with a smile, she explained what did the Winter Solstice celebrations meant for the people in back in their land.

"Everything is about union and community. It was the time of the year when everyone was family, our dining hall would be open and everyone could eat with us."

Henry rested his arms on the table and laid his head on top of them. Amazed, he continued listening to his grandmother's Winter Solstice stories. It was indeed a fairy tale-like holiday, and he could never imagine something like that happening in Storybrooke.

"And in the main square, in front of our palace, they always put a huge tree. Every person had the right to put one ornament on it because it belonged to everyone. Everyone could have a little bit of magic."

"Who put the star on the top of the tree? You?"

Mary Margaret shook her head. "That was the Blue Fairy's job." Her mind travelled to a faraway land, as she delved deeper into the memories. "When everyone had put their ornaments on the branches, she'd fly to the top and wave her wand, and then the tree would light up and shine like the brightest stars."

"Did you also write to Santa Claus?"

"We wrote to Saint Nicholas instead," the woman replied shaking her head

"Saint Nicholas?" the kid asked, interested on the character.

"Yes, he is a folk saint that lived in another world and had the power to travel across the realms," Mary Margaret remembered the first time she had heard about Saint Nicholas's story, "He'd grant a wish to every single kid on the day of the Winter Solstice, it was the only magic that never came at a price,"

"So, he was like a wizard?"

"More or less," Mary Margaret replied. "Those who have seen him say that he's a spirit, his colour varying from silver to blue,"

The interest on Henry's eyes only reminded her of her own fascination when she was about his age. She remembered when she used to be a little girl, when the excitement of writing and sending the letter to Saint Nicholas each holiday was the best bit of the whole year. She'd dream of Christmas through each season, and it was definitely her favourite time of the year.

"I'm guessing you didn't ask for a new pony or a doll?" It was more a statement than a question.

Mary Margaret shook her head. No one in the Enchanted Forest ever asked for an actual possession. Christmas wishes were more meaningful that a simple toy. They had the power to do much more than deliver ponies or soldiers to the girls and boys.

"No, we asked for the things that mattered to us: health, love, happiness."

Henry stared at the wall, but Mary Margaret knew that his thoughts were focussed elsewhere. "Did your wishes ever come true?" he asked.

Mary Margaret nodded. "Saint Nicholas never let me down."

* * *

**A/N: (yes, this is me bothering you again) **

I referred to Saint Nicholas as a _Folk Saint_ to make it more Enchanted-Forrest-like and less Planet-Earth-like, since we all know that there's no Christianity in the Enchanted Forrest and therefore, as Meresger pointed out, there can't be a _Saint_ Nicholas.  
So I did some research - thank God for Wikipedia - I came across the term Folk Saint.

The article says more or less the following:  
Folk saints are dead people or other spiritually powerful entities (such as indigenous spirits) venerated as saints but not officially canonised (declared as a Saint by the Catholic Church). Frequently, their actions in life, as well as in death, distinguish folk saints from their canonised counterparts: official doctrine would consider many of them sinners and false idols. Their ranks are filled by folk healers, indigenous spirits, and folk heroes.


	2. December 2nd

The bell rang, indicating that classes were over. It was the students' favorite sound. All the kids started to put their books and pencil cases inside their backpacks, getting ready to leave and go home.

"Don't forget to write about your favorite Christmas movie! It's due next Friday," Mary Margaret called above the noise the kids were making. "Henry, wait!" the teacher called her grandson. "I have an idea."

Henry walked over Mary Margaret's desk. "Yes?" he said, clearly trying to force excitement into his voice.

When his grandmother asked him to stay with her, it usually involved him getting extra homework or helping her doing something for the next day's activities. The last time he had helped her build a time machine out of boxes for their history class. It wasn't as though he didn't like helping Mary Margaret, because he enjoyed spending each minute he had with her - but today, he didn't feel like doing anything but sleeping. And he still didn't know what to ask Santa for.

Truth was, he knew what he wanted for Christmas, but it was something that old Santa couldn't get him.

"How about, you write a letter to Saint Nicholas and we send it to him?" she asked, looking at him with a smile.

"Send it?" Henry looked confused, "But how will he receive it? He's not from this world."

"Well, with frost dust, of course," Mary Margaret laughed.

"Frost dust?" He had never heard about frost dust before,

Mary Margaret nodded, "Yes, frost dust, it's a special dust collected during winter time," the teacher explained "The fairies collect them from the frosted hills during the shortest day of the year, when the _Polarblazma_ connects the earth and the soil,"

"What it's Polarblazma?" Henry asked. "Sounds like a Russian hockey team,"

Mary Margaret chuckled. "It's our name for the northern lights,"

He let an 'oh' out and then stared at the blackboard, his eyebrows furrowed in a way that Mary Margaret knew that he was thinking about something. "I thought magic always came with a price," he pointed out, and Mary Margaret was once again reminded that he was too smart for his age.

She nodded. "It does, but not this kind of magic. Fairies are gentle creatures, especially during winter time," she explained. "Now, write your letter! Remember you have to wish for something."

Henry grabbed a piece of paper from Mary Margaret's desk and while she cleaned the blackboard and ordered the books on the shelves, he began his letter to Saint Nick.

_Dear Saint Nicholas,_

_I know you have never heard from me, but that's because I've always written to Santa. But this year I don't want the stuff Santa brings. This year I just wish for my family to be together for Christmas._

_Thank you,_

_Henry_

"Did you finished your letter?" Mary Margaret asked after she was done doing her after-school chores. He nodded and folded the letter in half. "Good. Now, we just have to send it!"

They left the school and walked towards the nunnery, where the Blue Fairy lived. Henry was very excited, not only because of this Saint Nicholas letter, but also because they were using fairy dust to send it. He had never used fairy dust before, and wondered what it looked like.

"Hi, Blue," Mary Margaret greeted the fairy. "We're here to send a letter to Saint Nicholas."

"Saint Nicholas?" The fairy looked excited. "My, my, it's been years since someone wrote to him!"

She started searching among the jars littered along her shelves, muttering to herself and moving bottles around. Henry looked at Mary Margaret with an eyebrow raised. She just smiled at him, Mary Margaret was just as excited as the blue fairy was, if not more.

"Here, sweetie." The blue fairy opened a flask and took a spoon of the dusty content from inside out. "Show me your letter."

Henry took it out and handled it to her, but instead of taking it the blue fairy poured the dust over it. The dust was red and green and it sparked like glitter.

"Speak to whom you wish to send the letter, Henry," the fairy prompted gently.

Henry looked at the letter and said "Saint Nicholas" loudly, before looking at his grandmother, who nodded proudly.

He waited for something to happen, but the paper was still in his hand, and the dust over it didn't seem to be doing anything. Henry tried to hide his disappointment and was about to drop the letter when it started vibrating in his hand.

Instinctively, though he didn't know where the instinct came from, he relaxed his grip. Then the letter escaped his hand and stayed floating in front of him. Henry reached out to grab it, but before he could touch it again the letter exploded and disappeared, leaving nothing but the silver and blue dust flying around him.

"That was awesome." he whispered with a smile.

* * *

N/A: Polarblazma is the actual name of Northern Lights in Latvian :)


	3. December 3rd

This is a short one, but it needed to be part of the story, so - Enjoy!

* * *

"Son, listen to me," Mr Gold tried to make his son come to his senses. "Christmas is supposed to be celebrated with family. And Belle and I, we are your family."

"Oh, so now I'm your son?" Neal asked, anger coloring his tone.

Gold took a step towards his son. "You were _always_ my son, Bae," he said placing his hand on Neal's shoulder.

"No," the younger man said shaking the paw away. "Not since the day when you chose magic over me."

"When are you going to understand that I chose magic for you and not instead of you?"

"When you understand that my father is long dead," Neal spat, before turning and barging out of the shop.

Mr Gold watched him leave without a word. His heart was heavy, a sensation he hadn't felt in a long time. It was a sensation he welcomed because it meant he was starting to feel human once more, not the monster he had been for so many centuries.

"Are you ok, Rumple?" he looked over his shoulder to see Belle's sad eyes fixed on him.

"I am, dear," the man replied. "It's nothing."

"Rumple, look at me," Belle cupped his cheeks in her hands. "You can talk to me, remember?"

He kept quiet for a second, staring into Belle's eyes, and he took a deep breath. "It's heavy," he admitted.

"What, what's heavy?" she asked. He pointed at his chest, patting his heart. "I see," the beautiful woman murmured. "That's how a broken heart feels."

Broken heart. When was the last time his heart had been broken? When was the last time his heart had felt something other than hate and revenge?

"I want it to stop," Rumple stated. "I want the pain to go away. I want to never feel it again."

Belle caressed his cheeks and smiled at him. "No, Rumple," she told him. "Pain means you are alive; as long as you live, you'll feel it. But pain is sometimes good."

"Why is that?" he asked confused.

"Because pain means that you care," Belle said in a gentle tone. "And the fact that you cares shows that you are a good person," she added before leaning in and pressing her lips against his.


	4. December 4th

This is your reminder to go and vote for OUAT on the People's Choice Award. Today is the last day.

M.

* * *

"No, Regina." Henry heard Emma's voice from the upper floor. "Henry is spending Christmas with Mary Margaret, David and me."

"I'd like to see which judge would approve of that," Regina replied dryly. "Henry is my son and you have no rights concerning him."

"I do."

"No, dear," his adoptive mother replied. "In fact, you don't even have the right to spend time with him. I'm allowing it because Henry wants it and I'm a good mother."

Emma let out a bark of laughter. "You, a good mother?" Her tone was incredulous, and more than a little mocking. "Who told you that?"

Henry stood up from his hiding place and walked towards his room. He closed his bedroom door with all the force he had, not really caring if his mothers had heard him or not. He was tired of hearing the same arguments over and over again. He hated when his mothers fought. He hated when they fought over him. He loved them both, and he couldn't choose between them – he didn't want to choose between them. Why couldn't they get along? At least while he was around them. At least for important family holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas.

He was furious. Anger filled his veins making his blood boil until the point it hurt. There had to be a way to feel better, but he didn't know how to manage all the anger that was building up, beginning to bubble over. He pushed all the books from his bookshelves onto the floor. There. He was marginally better. He threw all his toys against the wall. The clock on the wall also ended up on the floor. He flipped his mattress, kicked his bed. Every act of defiance made him feel a little bit more at ease.

When Henry was done destroying his room he grabbed a pillow and pressed it against his face. And he screamed. He screamed as loud as he could, as long as he could, with all the pain and anger and disappointment and hate flying from his lungs in an enormous wave. After, he lay motionless in what was left of his bed, completely exhausted from pillaging his room.

"You were supposed to make things better, not worse," he let out after a moment, a single tear rolling down his cheek. "I hate you, Saint Nicholas."

And then Henry Mills fell asleep.


	5. December 5th

Neal woke up early that morning to jog. It was the best form of anger management he knew. And Storybrooke was the best place on earth to jog - he could run in the woods, through the streets or on the beach. It was perfect. Shoving his earphones into his ears, he pressed play and let the thundering music fill his head.

He decided to go to the beach, where he had always loved the salty scent of the sea during early morning, or the magical moment when the fishers returned from a long night of fishing and prepared their catch to sell it at the market. He was half way through the bay when he came across a person sitting on the sand. A person he recognised.

"Hey, buddy," he said sitting next to Henry. "Aren't you supposed to be at home?" Henry shrugged. "What's wrong, kid?"

"My moms," his son answered. "They were fighting - Again,"

"About what?" Neal asked. He didn't want to pry on Regina and Emma's issues, but he knew that talking was likely to make Henry feel better.

"Everything," he muttered. "They are always fighting. I hate it when they fight."

Neal placed one of his hands on Henry's shoulder. "Yeah, it sucks when parents fight." He remembered the fights between their parents, before Milah left Rumple for good. They didn't fight in front of him, but he could hear them from his room, where he would cry himself to sleep.

"You fought again with Mr. Gold?" Henry said, making it sound much more like a statement than a question. Neal nodded. He didn't know how, but Henry always seemed to know what happened in Storybrooke. "Is it that hard to forgive him?"

"It's not hard," Neal replied. "But it's complicated."

Henry nodded in agreement, as though he understood what Neal meant. They stayed by the shore for a while, watching the sunrise. Henry was a good kid, Neal knew - he didn't deserve his two moms fighting, much less over him.

"I have an idea," the older man said after a while. Henry looked at him. "Why don't you and I go to New York for the holidays?" Henry looked at the sea, thinking about Neal's proposition. "I have friends with kids in the city, you'll have fun with them."

"I guess we could get away for a while," the boy said after a while. "My moms are fighting over who's going to spend the holidays with me, so if I go with you, I wouldn't have to choose between them."

Neal patted his back. "It's settled then, I'll talk to your mom later."

_Your mom_, Henry thought. It didn't matter which one of his mothers Neal talked to, it would conclude in a fight. "That's not going to end nicely for you," Henry said with a sad smile on his face.

"Don't worry about me," his father smiled back at him and messed up his hair. "I know how to handle Emma. Her grown-up-self is less complicated than the teenager-self I met a while ago."

Henry laughed and rested his head on Neal's arm. It was nice to have a dad. Neal seemed to understand him better. And he didn't have mood swings he then blamed on hormones.

"We should go, kid," Neal said standing up. "Emma is going to get angry at me if she knows about your morning trip."

"It wasn't your fault."

"But she wouldn't really care about it, right?" he asked winking at him. Henry pursed his lips into a smile and shook his head. Nope, it definitely wouldn't make any difference.


	6. December 6th

Happy Saint Nicholas to all the people that, just like me, refuse to grow up and still get chocolate today :D

Also, this chapter hasn't been corrected, so I apologise if there are any mistakes! You can point them out and I'll change them as soon as possible!

* * *

Neal didn't catch a minute of sleep trying to find a way to tell Emma that he'd take Henry to New York for the holidays. It couldn't be that hard, could it? after all, he was Henry's father, and it was not like he'd leave Henry alone in the subway or something like that - he liked the kid and he'd definitely take care of him.

With the first rays of morning light, Neal sat on the edge of his bed and decided it was time to man up and tell his plans to Emma. After getting dressed he went out from Granny's B&B and started looking over for Storybrooke's sheriff. He found her walking towards the City Hall.

"Henry told me that you and Regina have been fighting a lot lately." He told his ex-lover while he followed her around. Usually Emma would ignore him, but she'd always react when he meddled in her life.

"Ok, three things," the blonde turned to face him. "_First_, we don't fight, we argue, there are differences between fighting and arguing." She said raising her thumb as she started to enumerate what she was saying. "_Second_, we are not arguing _more_ than before." She raised her index finger. "And _third_," Emma added raising her middle finger. "I don't see how the problems between Regina and I are of your concern."

Taking his silence as a cue to leave, she lowered her fingers and continued walking.

He ran behind her. "They are when it upsets Henry." Neal replied blocking her path.

"Oh, and now you are a caring father." Emma spat, looking into his eyes.

"Well, when his mothers are not caring, yes," he answered in the same tone she had used.

"We care for Henry," Emma snapped angrily at him. "Just in different ways."

"I think that he doesn't see it that way."

"I don't really care what you think, Neal," the blonde said harshly, "Now, if you excuse me,"

For the second time Emma started walking, leaving Henry's father behind. This time he didn't try to catch up. He had always believed that the truth should be in the same manner you take a bandaid off, it was better to do it fast and with no delay. He breathed and then just screamed at her. "I'm taking him to New York for Christmas." Neal let out, not wanting to delay even more the point of this conversation.

"No, you are not." The blonde replied as if it was obvious, turning on her heels and walking towards him.

"I already talked to him," Neal explained. "He agreed to it. He said that in that way he wouldn't have to choose between you and Regina."

Emma's jaw dropped. It does seemed like something Henry would say. As much as he loved them both, he hated having to pick between them. It had been hell for the kid when he decided to spend Thanksgiving with Regina because he had already spent Halloween with Emma, Mary Margaret and Charming, which had been a hard choice as well.

"You are not taking him to New York." She stated after a while. "And if you do, Regina and I will report you to the police, saying you kidnapped our son."

"Ah, then Henry will have a really nice christmas." Neal expressed. "His two moms, who can't agree on anything, agreed on putting his dad in jail, lovely."

"He'll at least be happy we agreed in _something_."

"That's enough. I _will_ take him to New York and that's the end to this story." Neal ended the argument and walked away from the blonde. Emma tightened her fists, she wanted to follow him, to punch him in the face, to tell him he didn't get to make decisions on Henry's live. But before she could set her feet in motion her phone rang.

"Swan." She said to the phone.

"We have a situation, Sheriff" Regina's voice replied to her.

"Tell me about it," she replied as he watched Neal cross the street. "Neal wants to take Henry to New York for the holidays."

"Oh - " Regina replied. "And here I was, thinking that having Albert Spencer burning the town's christmas ornaments was the worst thing that could be happening." Emma noticed her tone was sarcastic.

"I'll deal with Albert," Emma stated. "You fix this Neal problem. I don't know - threat him, banish him to another realm, you are good at it."

"Why, thank you, dear."

Emma didn't know if Regina thanked her for taking care of Albert or for the compliment that she had just given her, either way she said. "I'm still angry at you."

Regina chuckled. "I didn't expect less, Sheriff Swan," and with that their conversation was over.

Finding Albert had not being hard at all. She didn't even had to use her super tracking skills, she just followed the ashes, then the smoke, and then she found Albert burning down a Christmas Tree that was decorating Granny's B&B.

"Albert Spencer," she said walking over, "You are under arrest for disturbing the public peace and burning the ornaments."

"This is stupid," he yelled at her, "All of this,"

"Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law," Emma cuffed him. Albert cursed her and this damned town, "Now, now, _Grandpa_," Emma teased him since he was David's adoptive, and abusive, father. "Be careful or you'll suffer from a heart attack,"

Emma placed him inside the patrol and drove him to the Sheriff's office.


	7. December 7th

For those who are waiting for a Regina/Neal fight, you guys will have to wait a little bit!

Thanks for all the reviews and follows and favoriting!

Hugs,

M.

* * *

"What do you mean you don't have any christmas memory?" Mary Margaret asked confused.

"Well, it's kind of hard to have a christmas when you don't have a family." Emma replied, Mary Margaret lowered her face. "God - that's not what I meant." The blonde said quickly. "I don't blame you anymore for what you did."

"But - "

"Mary Margaret, listen to me," Emma looked into her eyes. "I spent too many years of my life being angry at my parents and everyone else. But now I've found you, David and Henry." A half smiled appeared on Mary Margaret's face. "I don't care about the past, I just want to enjoy the present."

"You do know that whenever you feel alone, you can tell me and I'll be by your side, right?" the teacher said reaching for her daughter's hand, a grin appeared on her face when Emma nodded. "But, seriously, not even _one_ good christmas?"

Emma sighed, "There was one year, a family took me in for the holidays. I was 7 at the time," she told her mother with a shy smile. "That was the only year I got a present from Santa Claus, it was a barbie." Emma remembered that christmas fondly. "I knew that it was a useless present, but for the moment I was happy and loved."

Of all her foster families, Emma remembered that family, the Millers, with particular affection. They had taken her for the holidays and she stayed with them until May, it had been the best months of her childhood, then her foster parents died in a car crash and she was placed with another foster family and her foster siblings where sent to live with a distant aunt they had in Nebraska. It had broken her heart. Her smile disappeared at the memory of how it had all ended.

Mary Margaret squished Emma's hand, returning the blonde to reality. "You know, Emma, when you were born it only took one look at you, and I knew I'd never be the same." Mary Margaret looked at her baby, her eyes filled with love. "I understood that from that moment on, I'd give anything just to see you smile."

Emma caressed Mary Margaret's hand. She knew the whole orphan-childhood didn't make her mother feel proud of the decision she took so many years ago.

"So, I'm going to organize the best holidays for you," Mary Margaret said after a while. "We'll get a tree, and make our own ornaments, and read stories around the chimney - everything we didn't get to do while you were growing up."

Emma laughed. "We don't have to do all those stuff, Mary Margaret."

"Yes, we do." Emma's mother said and pull the blonde closer to her heart. "We'll have the best christmas/winter solstice ever."

* * *

On the other side of the city, Regina parked her car in front of Mr. Gold's store. The bell hanging above the door announced to the store's owner that someone had entered his property.

"Ah, your majesty," Rumple said in a mocking tone, "To what to I own the pleasure?"

"Where's your good-for-nothing son?" Regina said straight to the point.

"So much anger, deary," He chuckled, "And what's your business with Bae?"

"He wants to take Henry to New York for the holidays,"

"He wants to go to New York?" the man asked, ignoring the second part of the sentence and the real reason why Regina was looking for him.

"Yes, he does," Regina said with no patience, "Now, would you tell me where he is? I'll let him know that he doesn't have permission to take Henry out of town, and that if he does so, I'll personally hunt him down and rip his heart out."

Rumplestiltskin kept quiet and studied his options. The evil queen knew that he always wanted something in return for any information he traded. So he was probably thinking for a right price; it didn't matter to her, she wouldn't have Neal taking her son away for christmas. Regina tapped her finger against the table, showing her impatience to the man and urging him to think faster.

"How about a deal, deary?" he asked and then laughed, "Just like old times,"

"A deal?"

"Yes, yes, a deal," he repeated. "You leave this to me. I'll deal with this whole... _trip_ - your side of the deal is to stay out of it and trust me,"

"You want me to trust you with the possibility of my son going away for Christmas?" the man nodded at her question. "Why would I do that?"

"Because," Rumple leaned closer to her, "Just like you, I want my son to spend Christmas with me,"

She stared him right into the eye, was that really the reason behind it? Or was there a hidden agenda? Could she trust Rumplestiltskin? He always did his part of the deal; in a bizarre way, but always kept his word nevertheless.

"Fine," she agreed, "But do not harm Henry in _any_ way,"

"I wouldn't dream of," He told her with a smile, "He's my family after all," Rumplestiltskin pointed out.

Regina shivered at his statement, she still had hard time making peace with the fact that Henry connected her to both Snow White and Rumplestiltskin. Her kid had the worst family tree ever, but that was not a real problem at the moment. Rumplestiltskin would make sure that Neal wouldn't leave to New York and thus Henry would spend Christmas with her.


	8. December 8th

Thank you all for reading and commenting and all sorts of things you guys do :)

Hugs,

M.

* * *

Emma had been excited about the reunion for the entire week, and even with all the things going on between Neal, Regina and her, planning this meeting had made her week much better.

She had invited Belle, Ashley and Mary Margaret to meet up with Ruby and her at Granny's to tell them an idea she had had. Ruby was the only one who knew up till now what the idea was about, and she had agreed without giving it a second thought.

It had not been hard to convince the shewolf, Ruby always gave the 'go' to all the fun and games, or anything that would keep her away from her job. Ruby and Emma set the group-date at a time when there were not many clients at Granny's. That way Ruby could participate freely without her grandmother bossing her around.

Ashley was the first one to arrive. She was excited to meet with the girls, with whom she hadn't met since her second wedding, and there was so much to be told. Mary Margaret appeared with Belle, having met in front the library.

"Ok, Emma," Belle said when the five girls sat around a table, hot cocoa mugs in hand. "Tell us, what is this great idea of yours?"

Emma looked at them excitedly. "Let's play Secret Santa!"

Ruby let out a cheer, before quietening down with an incredulous look at the others who had clearly never heard of the game.

"How do you play this Secret Santa?" Mary Margaret asked her daughter, ignoring Ruby's excitement.

"Well, we write our names in a paper - already did that." She showed them the pieces of paper with their names on. "Then we fold them and put them into a bowl." Ruby helped Emma shove them into a plastic bowl on the worktop.

"And now," Ruby continued with the explanation. "Each of us draws a name, and you will be that person's Secret Santa."

"Also, as its name suggests: it's a secret," Emma added. "So you can't tell anyone who your person is."

"Oh!" Mary Margaret commented as if she had just remembered something, "We did that back at the Enchanted Forest," she added. "It was called Secret Friend, though."

"Oh my god!" Belle, who had begun to cotton on, exclaimed. "You are right! We did it at the castle, with all the people who worked there."

"So did we!" Mary Margaret said happily. "Once I was the Chef's secret friend, and I had fresh cupcakes every morning before breakfast!"

Emma stared at Ruby who shrugged and didn't say a word. Both princesses continued remembering their childhood memories.

"That is so nice," Belle gushed. "I once had the tailor, so every evening, when I went back to my chambers I had a new bow for my hair."

They both turned at Emma and Ruby, to hear their stories.

"Oh, sorry. I wasn't a princess," Ruby said after a moment of awkward silence. "Christmas was just Granny and me, no cupcakes and no bows."

"That's so sad." Belle placed her hand over Ruby's. Ruby exchanged looks with Emma, asking the blonde girl if everything was ok with the librarian.

"Ok, what about the present?" Mary Margaret asked after Ruby said she was ok. "It has to be something in particular or..."

"Um - not really." Emma said. "But it'd be nice if we get each other something meaningful, not just a pair of socks."

"Yeah, for example: if you get me, please don't get me a book." Ruby spoke to the bookworm. "Unless you want it to end up in my chimney on a cold winter night."

Belle rolled her eyes.

"Ok," Mary Margaret said. "Let's do this."

Emma nodded and moved the bowl, mixing the papers inside. "Ashley, you first." The blonde reached in and pinched a piece of paper between two fingers.

"Yay!" Ashley clapped her hands. "I got myself! Does this mean I won?"

Ruby started laughing uncontrollably, making fun of her friend. Ashley understood she had said something wrong, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Emma rolled her eyes at Ruby and tapped her friend on the shoulder.

"No, Ashley. Put your name back in the bowl and take another one."

Ashley did as Emma said and picked another folded piece of paper. Belle and Mary Margaret followed Ashley's actions, with Ruby picking up the last one.

"Ok, girls," Emma said once they all had read the names of the person they were supposed to get a gift. "The presents exchange will be on the 20th of December."


	9. December 9th

Oh, I forgot to thank Wolfergirl, who corrected yesterday's chapter and this one as well :) - if you're a Castle and RandI fan, go and check her stories! They are awesome

M.

* * *

"Move, Mom!" Henry yelled from the street where he and Mary Margaret were waiting for her. "We'll be late."

The city hall had hired David to dress as Santa Claus so that kids could take pictures with him. It had not been Regina's idea, who surprisingly was reasonably old school and wanted to keep the traditions they had at the Enchanted Forest. But the people of the town had spoken, and the mayor had to take their opinions into account if she wanted to be re-elected. Plus, Henry had asked her since all his friends wanted to meet Santa, and who could say no to the younger Mills?

Besides, ever since Regina had almost incinerated Neal for his suggestion of taking Henry away, she and Emma had decided to at least pretend to tolerate each other. They had also agreed that one would celebrated Christmas Eve with him, and the other one Christmas day.

Emma rode the bug to Storybrooke's school, where she found dozens of kids excited to take a picture with Santa. David, who was dressed as the man from the North Pole sat on a big chair, with his two elf assistants Dopey and Happy. He had chosen the right dwarves, thought Emma, giggling at the thought of Leroy dressed in green and helping David with the kids.

Henry ran off to meet with Paige and the Zimmer siblings, who were already at the line and waved at him.

"I'll go and see if Blue needs something," Mary Margaret said and left Emma alone leaning on the yellow bug.

She watched the people of Storybrooke from afar, a smile appearing on her face.

"You are smiling," someone said.

The blonde turned her face to meet with the mayor staring at her. "Regina," she greeted.

Regina didn't say anything else but leaned on Emma's car next to her, and watched their kid talking to his friends.

"He seems happy," the brunette observed.

"Yes," Emma said sincerely, "And it's all thanks to you,"

Regina turned to face a smiling Emma. There were few moments like these, moments when they were not trying to annoy the hell out of each other, when Regina actually enjoyed being around Emma, and especially when Emma pointed out that she was doing something right. Emma was the only one in Storybrooke who didn't hate her for being the Evil Queen, but for being Regina - her kid's control-freak adoptive mother. And that was actually kind of refreshing.

"Well," the mayor said standing up straight, "Let's keep it like this and I can spare Neal's life." Regina hadn't been quite honestly with Emma regarding on how she had solved the Neal-Problem, and she wouldn't tell her either, somethings were better to be kept as secret.

Emma chuckled at Regina's comment and followed her towards the crowded line, where Henry was waiting for them with a big grin on his face. Had he just seen an illusion, or had his mothers really had a conversation without ending it in a fight?


	10. December 10th

"I don't know what to do." Emma told her parents. "I want Henry to celebrate Christmas day with us but if he does, then Regina will be alone."

"Well, there's always a solution," Mary Margaret said, avoiding eye contact with everyone.

"We're not inviting her over," David and Emma said at unison.

Mary Margaret hated the fact that David and Emma resented Regina. Sure, she had done great deal of harm back at the Enchanted Forest, but that had been a long time ago. And recently it really seemed like Regina was trying to do her best, which was more than she could say for her husband.

"It was just an idea!" the teacher raised her hands placatingly. "Besides, I don't see why you two are so against it."

"Let me think," David stroked an imaginary beard. "Because she cursed us, made our girl grow up alone, made us forget our love - should I continue?"

"And at the end, everything turned out to be just how it is supposed to be." Mary Margaret replied.

It was true, even after the curse she had been re-united with her husband, they had found their daughter, they were living together and they had a grandson who they loved dearly. It was a happy ending - maybe it took them more years than they had originally expected, but it was a happy ending nevertheless.

"Oh, yeah," David said sarcastically, bringing her back to reality. "We just missed Emma's first words, first steps, first Christmas, first day of school, first boyfriend, giving birth to - " he would had continue with the endless list if Mary Margaret hadn't interrupted him at that point.

"Look, Christmas is a time to see the world through the eyes of love," she looked sternly at her husband and then at Emma "It's a time to remember that the world is made up of people like us and to see them for who they really are, not by the poor choices they have made,"

David and Emma looked at each other. They knew she was right, "Ok, Mother," Emma said with a sigh. "I'll invite Regina to come over for Christmas."

"Good." Mary Margaret pursed her lips into a smile. She secretly loved when David and Emma didn't have any other choice than to do as she had said because it was the fair thing to do. "Now pass me the flour, we are baking Christmas cookies today!"

Emma raised an eyebrow at her father, surprised how her mother could change topics so easily, as if they were just discussing which colors the napkins would be. But she kept quiet and passed the flour to Mary Margaret.

"Back at the castle," Mary Margaret said as she prepared the things. "I'd always sneak into the kitchen and bake cookies with Louis. It was magical."

"Everything is magical for you, Mary Margaret," Emma pointed out.

"Emma, magic is not only Regina snapping her fingers and making something appear, or Mr Gold making a potion," her father explained. "Magic is found everywhere, in the sunrise and sunset, in the raindrops, in falling stars. Everything around us is magic."

Mary Margaret gave David a knowing smile. "Even in the most ordinary days, you can find traces of it."

Emma looked at them, not really knowing what they meant but pretending she did. She smiled at them and her parents smiled back. Then they all returned to their attention to the cookies being made. They talked while they performed the chores that Mary Margaret had assigned to them, and every now and again her parents would interject with a tale about their winter holidays back at the enchanted forrest, before returning to humming a seasonal song. It really made her heart fill with the greatest pleasure.

While growing up, she had never understood the meaning behind Christmas, the words that everybody said: Christmas is a joyful time, it's a time to be with your family. She always thought it was something that only happened on Hallmark Movies. But now that she had a family that cared for her and wouldn't leave her, she finally understood why people loved Christmas so much.


	11. December 11th

Thanks to Wolfergirl for correcting this :)

And thanks to all of you who follow, favourite and review!

* * *

"Regina, wait!" Emma yelled at the mayor when she saw her in front of the auditorium doors.

Regina stopped and stared at the sheriff with her lips pursed. Even if they were pretending to act in a civil manner towards each other for Henry's wellbeing it didn't mean that they were best friends and would do things together. But today was the nativity play organized by Henry's school, so of course they would both be there and they would have to be together. Emma tried to make her way through a walking mass of people to get to where Regina was standing, but it was harder than she had expected. Regina looked amused at Emma's effort to get to her; if it had been her crossing, the people would stop for her - little things fear did.

"If this is about Henry spending Christmas with you," the brunette started as soon as Emma was couple of feet away from her. "I haven't changed my opinion and I don't think this is the right time to discuss - "

"I'm here to invite you and Henry to spend Christmas with us," Emma interrupted her, catching her breath from the exertion of battling her way through the crowds.

"You want me to celebrate Christmas with you and your family?" Regina asked, in a tone Emma wanted to call disgusted.

Emma nodded. "It was Mary Margaret's idea, actually," she said to make it clear that she was as thrilled as Regina was. "That way we could both spend it with Henry."

"Why would Mary Margaret suggest that? I tried to kill her," Storybrooke's mayor stated, crossing her arms, "On multiple occasions." she added

"She told me that Christmas is a time to renew bonds of love." Regina raised an eyebrow, as if the words Emma spoke surprised her. "It's a time to use that love to build bridges of understanding, acceptance, and forgiveness."

"Yes, that sounds like something _she_ would say," the mayor said after a while. Emma couldn't figure out if she meant Mary Margaret or Snow White.

"So, are you coming?" Emma asked, a tiny, hesitant smile gracing her lips.

"I have to think about it, dear," Regina replied dryly. "Or did you think that I'd forget of all the plans I already made just because you and your mother invited me over?"

Emma refrained from replying - truth was, she already regretted having invited Regina for Christmas. But it was the best thing for Henry, and Henry was all that mattered.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, please be seated," Mary Margaret asked from the stage. "The nativity is about to start."

Emma sat next to David, and surprisingly Regina sat next to her. "I can't wait to see Henry as a wise man," David said, almost in a whisper, to Emma. "He didn't let me see his costume."

"That's because he says dresses are for girls," Emma replied, trying not to laugh, as the lights were turned off.

Henry was good kid, who always followed the orders he received and didn't protest. That is, until Mary Margaret had showed him what he had to wear for the nativity. First, Henry had thought it was a joke, his jaw dropping and his eyes wide open; then, when he understood that Mary Margaret was being serious about the dress, he had refused to wear it, saying that he would not dress as a girl; finally, when he realised he was losing the battle he gave them the biggest tantrum that Emma had seen since she met the boy. It also took Mary Margaret by surprise, who decided to give in and make some modifications.

"How did you get him to use the dress, then?" David asked.

"Your wife made him a badass sword and a kickass crown."

"I do hope you don't use that vocabulary when my son is around, dear," they heard Regina say.

Emma turned to face Henry's adoptive mother. "I do hope he doesn't get the bad habit of eavesdropping, dear," the blonde snapped.

"I thought you two were getting along for Henry," David commented, shrinking back slightly when the two women shot him identical glares. "Well, if Christmas is going to be like this, I'm sure he'll spend the next ones with Neal," he said. Then, in a barely audible tone: "I know I would."

The blonde was about to reply rudely to her father when a song started playing. She turned to see Paige, dressed as an angel, and speaking to the children who were dressed as Joseph and the Virgin Mary. Emma relaxed in her chair and decided to enjoy the show. She'd deal with her life's problems another time.


	12. December 12th

Ok, this chapter features Henry's essay (the one Mary Margaret asked as Homework). Please keep in mind that his in like 5th grade :P

Also, I apologise if I make any grammar mistake - I'm too sleep deprived because I went to The Hobbit midnight premier (I regret nothing) and I had to be in classes by 8 A.M. so I'm literally a zombie today. BUT GO AND WATCH THE MOVIE BECAUSE IT IS EPIC.

Sending you Zombie-Love!

M.

* * *

No one hated doing Christmas shopping more than Regina. To buy all those presents for everyone, it just was not for her. It was for a person that actually gives a damn for other people - Like Mary Margaret and Belle, she bet that they were that kind of people that loved shopping presents for others. Sadly, Henry also loved giving presents to the people he knew, to_ every single_ person he knew.

"Mary Margaret, David, you, Emma," Henry read his list. "Neal, Belle, Mr. Gold, Paige, Artie, Granny, Ruby, Blue - "

"We can't buy presents for everyone in Storybrooke, Henry" Regina interrupted him.

"Why not?" he asked confused, "Is not like we are poor,"

"Well, we are not poor because we don't go spending money on stupid stuff," as soon as she let the words out she regret it. Not because it made Henry feel bad - because it was not the case- but because her son started explaining how christmas presents where not something stupid, because they showed other people that we cared about them and that they are on our thoughts. "If you love someone, and that person loves you, a present shouldn't be necessary to reassure that," she pointed out. And he knew it was true.

"But a present never hurts," Henry said with a big smile that warmed even a cold heart like Regina's. "Ok, I'll shorten the list," he gave in after a while. "How about, Mary Margaret and David, Belle and Mr. Gold, Neal, Emma and you?"

"Still too many people," she pointed out. Then when her kid lowered his gaze she added. "Fine, those will do - but just because they are your ... family," Regina had problems with the last word rolling down her tongue, she still hadn't come to terms with Henry's biological family.

Henry hugged his mother tightly, and it make all the christmas shopping worth it.

* * *

"Is your homework done, Henry?" Regina asked as she placed all the shopping bags over the kitchen's table.

"Yup!" the kid replied running towards the TV.

"Not so fast, young man," his mother's voice made him stop and walk towards her. "First you'll wash your hands and show me your homework,"

"Mom!" he began to protest, "Don't you think I'm a bit too old to have my homework checked?"

Regina didn't reply to him, she just stared with her arms crossed, waiting for Henry to give her his homework.

"Fine," he muttered as he took a piece of paper out from his backpack.

_A Christmas Carroll,_

_My favourite christmas book is 'A Christmas Carol' by Charles Dickens. It tells us the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a cold-hearted and greedy man that hates Christmas. On the night of Christmas Eve, Scrooge's dead partner Jacob Marley visits him in the form of a ghost and tells him Three Spirits will come stop by to meet up with him. The first ghost to visit Scrooge is the Ghost of Christmas Past, then the Ghost of Christmas Present and the third and last ghost is the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come, each of the ghosts shows him about values and remind him about what is really Christmas about. Scrooge wakes up on Christmas day having learned his lessons and trying to become a better person._

_With his story, Dickens hopes to illustrate how self-serving, insensitive people can be converted into charitable and caring members of society. Warmth and generosity overcome Scrooge's bitter apathy. This is the reason why I love this story is because it shows that we all deserve a second chance, it doesn't matter how you acted in the past, you can always turn into a better person. And I'm a true believer that anyone can change._

_ Henry Mills._

The essay I had touched her heart. Storybrooke's mayor didn't know exactly why this story was Henry's favourite one. Maybe it was because it talked about redemption and second chances? Henry had always told Regina that she could be a better person, and that he believed in her. She liked to think that Henry had chosen the book because of her - she wanted to believe that she was still so important to him that he liked a book just because he identified his mother with the main character.

Regina corrected the few grammar mistakes that she found on Henry's homework before putting it back inside his backpack. Then she walked over the living room, where Henry was playing video games. She stared at him for a moment and remembered the last part of her son's essay: you can always turn into a better person. A better person, a forgiving and caring person, a person that let go of her past to enjoy the present and have a better future.

She knew what she needed to do, she knew she had to let go of her hate towards Mary Margaret. They wouldn't be best friends, but at least she could stop trying to make her life miserable. She also remembered what Emma had told her yesterday before Henry's performance at the Living Nativity. The brunette walked back to the kitchen and grabbing her phone, she dialled the Sheriff's phone.

"Not in the mood for a fight, Regina," Emma said as soon as she picked up the phone, it sounded as if she was fighting with someone or something.

Af if Emma not being in the mood for a fight would stop Regina from starting one. She shook her head and breathed in. "I was calling to let you know that Henry and I will spend Christmas with you and ... your parents," she said, Regina still couldn't bring herself to say Mary Margaret's name without hate painting her voice tone so she decided she'd avoid it. Baby steps.

Regina heard how something crashed against the floor at the other side of the call. "Shit," Emma said in an almost inaudible tone. Then she seemed to remember about the phone call "Henry... you... _Forrealsies_?"

Ladies and Gentlemen: Emma Swan, always so eloquent.

"Yes, Miss Swan," Regina tried to hide the annoyance on her voice, "We'll spend christmas with you, for real,"

"Great - I'll tell Mary Margaret," the other woman said, she seemed more at ease now, "And Regina," Emma added before the brunette could hang up the phone "Thank you,"

Regina raised an eyebrow, not really knowing why was Emma thanking her for. She said goodbye and proceeded to hang up. Before she pressed the button to end the call she heard more crashing and Emma screaming 'God Dammit, you stupid oven'. The mayor smiled to herself, it would be an interesting christmas after all.


	13. December 13th

Henry had his mind set on making everyone in Storybrooke believe in the christmas spirit, and when Henry had a goal, Henry achieved it - he did bring Emma to Storybrooke and played a big role on breaking the curse. So obviously a christmas parade was inside his christmas plans. And not just a parade, Henry wanted the hole thing, food, fire works, games, everything that he had seen on the movies.

Regina hadn't seem very thrilled with the idea because she had too much work to do, but David and Emma had assured her that she wouldn't have to worry about it since they'll deal with al the preparations. Henry was lucky his mothers were two of the most influential women on town, and when everything else failed, well, he had his grandfather Rumpelstiltskin to work it out.

The mayor didn't know why, but the Charmings were being too Charming towards her lately. She couldn't help but to be suspicious about it. The brunette watched them from her seat. Mary Margaret and David were hosting the first Miss WinterWonder, they talked and introduced each girl that aspired to win the crown - so lame. She was part of the jury, she was sitting between Mr. Gold and Emma, who were the other two judges.

Thank God it was a sunny day, this whole parade thing would have been impossible if the weather had been Storybrooke's normal winter weather: clouded and windy.

Regina wasn't really paying attention to the beauty pageant's participants. She shifted her eyes towards the crown that would be placed on tonight's winner, it reminded her of her own crown. Her mind travelled to the faraway land, to the land that she used to call home, to the land that had caused her nothing but pain and emptiness. At the beginning Storybrooke had felt the same, but then Henry came around. The little kid had filled her life with joy.

"Regina," Emma elbowed her.

Regina blinked to come back to reality and shoot a glare at the blonde. "What?" she snapped.

"We have to choose the winner and the runners up,"

Not very interested, Regina picked three random names. Two of them matched with Gold and Emma's choices, so picking the winner wouldn't be a problem.

As the Mayor of Storybrooke, Regina had to give the crown to the winner. Emma, as the sheriff, would give her the prize: a 1000$ check. At the beginning Emma and Regina had not been thrilled with the idea; but it had been Henry's idea, and they both wanted to make him happy. After all, was it really hard to climb up to the stage and give to a giggle woman her prize?

When Gold read the name of the winner, Audrey Tyler, a girl that Emma had never seen in Storybrooke until this day, a huge group of teenagers shouted loudly and popped bottles of champagne, wetting everyone who was around them. Regina stared at them with an eyebrow raised.

"I hope our kid grows up to be smarter than those idiots," she said leaning closer to Emma, who smiled at the comment but didn't say anything about it.

When the Miss WinterWonder climbed to the stage, she was wet and her make up had been smudged by the champagne, but she was so excited with her new title that she almost tripped over Regina, who was trying to put the crown on the enthusiastic teen. After Regina had crowned the new beauty queen she proceeded to make her speech.

She ended it with: "My wish for you is to count your blessings, not your regrets. Find your peace. Merry Christmas, people of Storybrooke!"

The people started clapping as the miss WinterWonder blew kisses at them. The teenagers that had popped the champagne screamed louder than before as the winner got of stage and walked among the people

"Why did I accept to do this?" Regina asked Emma, they were the only ones on stage - the rest of the people had clustered around the miss to congratulate her.

"Are you upset you didn't get the crown, Madam Mayor?" Emma teased her.

"I had a crown, dear, a real one," Regina replied with a serious tone. "Sometimes, I still use the title that came with it."

"Right, her royal highness, the _evil _queen."

Regina didn't reply to Emma's comment, she limited herself to smile to the crowd and wave at the few people that were looking at her. Emma followed her example.


	14. December 14th

I have a test on tuesday, so before wednesday I'll reply to all your reviews. - I'll still update daily, tho

Hugs,

M.

* * *

Emma had just finished her breakfast and stopped to talk to Archie in front of Granny's when the mayor's car parked next to them. "Get in," Regina said.

"Now, Madam Mayor," Emma placed her hands on the upper edge of the car and looked through the window. "If you want me to follow your orders, you'll have to ask nicely."

Regina clearly hated Emma's cocky behavior. "I'm not going to ask again."

"Then I'm not getting into the car." Emma replied crossing her arms like a spoiled kid.

The town's shrink shifted his gaze from the blonde to the brunette but decided not to comment about the hostility between the two woman. He knew they fought a lot, Henry had told him multiple times, but lately they seemed to be making an effort for Henry's sake. Either way, he didn't want to be in between a fight, specially because both, Emma and Regina, made formidable enemies and he didn't want to be on anybody's wrong side. So, after saying goodbye to Emma and wishing a Merry Christmas to the Mayor, he walked away from them.

"Get. In. The. Car." Regina said once Archie had left them. So much for acting civilised.

"I didn't hear the magic word." The blonde mocked the brunette.

There was a short time of silence, followed by a look filled of hate, as if Regina was killing Emma with her eyes. "Please, Miss Swan, would you be so kind and get in the car?" Sarcasm painting her tone.

Emma opened the door and sat in the copilot place. "See?" she asked in that tone that annoyed Regina "It that hard," the blonde added as she fastened her seat belt. "Where are we going?"

"To the mall, to buy Henry's present."

"Why didn't you say so?" The sheriff asked excited. "I love buy presents! I - I never pictured _you_ as a present buyer, tho."

"I'm not." Regina replied coldly. "I just buy presents for Henry. When he was nine years old, he told me, he didn't wanted a lot of presents, he just wanted something that reminded me of him," she explained. "So, since that year I go _present-hunting_. I figured you could help me this year"

"You are a box of surprises, Madam Mayor," Emma smiled to Regina. "I didn't know you had a soft side."

Regina didn't reply to the comment, she just drove to the shopping centre - the faster they get Henry's present, the faster she'd get rid of Emma. One of the positive things of having cast the curse, was that Regina was able to leave Storybrooke. Regina drove in silence, she didn't even reply when Emma asked why couldn't they just _puff_ to Boston, it would save them 8 hours of traveling forth and backwards. But Regina drove faster than what Emma expected, and they reached Boston in less than three hours and a half.

"They should cast you for the next Fast and Furious movie," Emma commented as she stepped out of the car. "Seriously, you drive like crazy. I never thought that someone so uptight like you would drive over the speed limit,"

"I was bored," Regina replied dryly hiding the real reason why she drove fast: she loved the speed. It was the reason why she loved horseback riding when she was younger.

They walked in the shopping centre and tried to find something for Henry. Emma proposed something about every store they passed by, and Regina kept rejecting Emma's suggestions.

"What about that new xBox?" Emma asked.

"Already has it"

"Laser tag!"

"Henry doesn't like sports, Miss Swan,"

"That Harry Potter potions set!"

"I'll not have my kid mock the art of magic with that potion set,"

"What do you have against Harry Potter?!" Emma inquired offended. Regina just shook her head and kept on walking.

The blonde stayed behind, watching the other woman walk by every shop and not even entering to see if she'd find something for her son - so much for present-hunting.

"Emma," the brunette said, she was few meters ahead. Reluctantly Emma walked towards her, "What about this?" Regina pointed at something that was at display.

A smiled brightened Emma's face, she looked at Regina, "I think that's perfect,"

"Better than all your suggestions, put together," Regina commented as she walked into the store to get the present.

"Hey!" The other woman let out offended, "My ideas were awesome," she added as she followed the Mayor inside the store.

* * *

**_A/N: You'll have to wait till christmas to find out about the present - muahahahaha :P. _**  
**_Thanks for reading! _**


	15. December 15th

I'll reply to most of the reviews on tuesday! :) but I'll reply now to the a review a guest left.

Regarding point one: Yes, Neal has no right over Henry, neither does Emma and I don't see anyone complaining about it - except Regina, ofc. The only one who really gets to say a thing about Henry is Regina because she is his adoptive mother.  
And point two: Regina didn't need Gold's help. She just needed to know where Neal was and Gold said he'd take care of it. But in the TV show Regina does ask a lot help from Rumple a lot of times, so I don't see why this is a problem  
Hope I clarified things for you, Guest :) Thanks for reading and commenting!

This chapter goes to Meresger, who seems to be quite fond of Neal and has been of great help.

Ten days till Christmas!

M.

* * *

Neal was walking by when he saw Emma enter to his father's shop. It made curiosity spark in him, why had Emma go in and talk to his father? was it something regarding his trip to New York? He knew Regina had come to see his father - he still hadn't change his opinion about it, and if Henry still wanted to come with him, he'd let the kid tag along.

Silently Neal entered the shop through the back door to see what was Emma's business.

"Please, Gold." He heard her say. "Just make an ice rink for Henry."

"Why not ask Regina?" his father asked her. "I'm sure she can make an ice rink,"

"I - she," Emma tried to explain her point, "She doesn't want to use magic because Henry asked her to, and she thinks Henry won't like the rink because he's not into sports - but everybody loves iceskating! I'm sure he'll love it,"

"Well, my answer is no," Rumple said and went back to his job: studying stamps with a magnifying glass

"Gold, please," the blonde didn't give up, "Think how happy he'll be,"

"And what is there for me?"

"You could charge the entrance ticket."

"I don't need money, deary," he said. "I can make gold, remember?"

Even if things were rocky between him and Emma, he felt he needed to back her up in this one. After all, she was doing it for her kid, for _their_ kid. So he walked out of his hiding place and spoke, surprising both Emma and his father, "If you care about me, you'll make the rink."

"You - you want me to use magic?" He asked confused.

Neal never believed he'd ask his father to use magic, but if this would make Henry happy, then why not? He inhale and said "Yes, papa." before he backed off.

"I'll make you a deal." Emma rolled her eyes and Neal sighed.

"It's always a deal with you, isn't it?" Neal asked angry.

"You haven't even heard the deal." the older man said in an almost hostile tone. "The deal is I make the rink, you teach me how to ice skate."

Neal and Emma looked at the Dark One.

"Don't look so surprised!" He told the younger people. "We didn't ice skate in the enchanted forrest."

Was this for real? He would build the rink with the only condition that Neal teaches him how to skate? It almost seemed too good to be true. Or was it an excuse to get closer to his son? to mend the broken relationship they had. It didn't really matter to Neal, for all he cared was that his father was going to do something nice for another person and didn't actually ask for something in return.

"Fine," Neal extended his hand and smiled at his father. "You've got a deal." Gold shook Neal's hand and smiled back at his son, this was definitely the best deal he had made in ages.

* * *

"Henry!" Emma called him from the ground floor, letting herself and Neal into Regina's house. "Come down, we have a surprise for you!"

"Miss Swan," Regina said coming out of her office, "Didn't any of your many foster parent's teach you how to ring a bell?"

Emma crossed her arms and opened her mouth to reply when she noticed her son running down the stairs and towards them. He hugged her tightly before asking what was the surprise.

"We are going iceskating!" the blonde said with excitement.

"Really?" Henry asked equally excited, "I've never ice-skated before!" he turned to see Regina, who was shocked that Emma had asked for Gold's help on this one, everybody knew how much Emma despised getting help from Gold. "Can my mom come?" he asked Emma.

Emma looked at Regina, "Of course, it was partly her idea, you know?" she lied.

Regina widely opened her eyes, surprised at the ease that Emma could lie to the kid. Truth was that Emma hadn't lie for Regina's sake or to make her look like a good mother at Henry's eyes. She lied because she knew that if Henry acted all happy because his parents were working together, Regina wouldn't be able to say no to the kid.

"All set to go?" Henry asked after he put his winter jacket on. Emma nodded and they walked towards the door,

"Miss Swan," Regina's voice stopped the two people, "We're going in my car," she pointed out, "I'll rather die than drive in that yellow bug of yours,"

Emma smirked at Regina's comment, it wouldn't be her if she would have agreed to enter in the bug. Plus, it was probably better, the bug had barely space for three people, leave alone four. Regina's car was bigger, they'd fit better. "As you wish, Miss Mayor,"


	16. December 16th

THIS SHOW WILL BE THE DEATH OF ME. They literally blew holes in every single pairing I shipped.

I wrote some measurements in this chapter. I used meters because I'm more used to them... but in case someone was wondering 2 meters is 6,5 feet and 1 meter is almost 3,3 feet.

Hugs,

M.

* * *

The door bell echoed through the halls of the mansion, it seemed like no one was home. It was strange, Henry had told her to come over after he was done with school. Emma looked through the sidelite, covering her eyes from sun's light so she could look better the inside of the house.

No one, there was no one.

She could break in through the back door, but it would probably make Regina go crazy on her if she found out. _If_ she found out. Well, it was worth the try. For all that she knew, something terrible could have happened to Henry - like fainted, or hit his head, died. _Ok, Emma,_ she told herself _don't over dramatise it._

Emma walked to the garden and started to pick the lock. The blonde kept on looking to both sides as she tried to opened the door; as the Sheriff of Storybrooke, she couldn't just enter into people's house without a Search Order. Just when she was about to crack the door wide open, someone pushed it to open it from inside, making the blond fall on her butt.

"Miss Swan," Regina said, "What happened to that good custom of ringing the bell?"

"No one answered it," Emma replied standing up and cleaning the part of her pants where she had landed.

"So, you thought it would be alright to pick on the lock and enter my house?" The brunette asked, still holding the door knob on her hand.

"I - Henry told me to be here at three," the sheriff started explaining, "So when he didn't reply I thought something bad had happened to him," Emma finished with a lie. Regina raised an eyebrow, obviously not buying Emma's lie.

"We were at the attic, taking down the christmas decoration," Regina explained and made her way into the house, Emma followed her. "I hope you like putting ornaments, Miss Swan,"

"Just Emma," the blonde said, she hated when Regina used the 'Miss Swan' tone, it felt cold and distant. "And I've never decorated a tree before,"

"You never decorated a christmas tree?" she asked, genuinely curious. Emma shook her head. "In any of the foster homes you had,"

"Not all of us are so lucky as Henry," the woman snapped, not wanting to share details of her past with Regina.

Emma stared at the tree that was in the living room, it was at least 2 meters high and so big. It made the whole house smell like the pine, it was a lovely scent. Emma had decorated a fake tree once, but it was nothing compared to this one. This was was majestic.

"I'm sorry,"

"For what?" Emma asked, almost annoyed.

_For casting the curse and stealing all the happy winter holiday memories from your childhood,_ she wanted to say but decided to stay silence. All this deal of being a better person was exhausting. So many emotions, so many people and their feelings to take into account. How could people live like that? It was easier to be selfish and just think about one person: you.

"Emma!" Henry's voice brought Regina back to reality. Their son was carrying the last of the ornaments down the stairs. Henry loved putting the christmas decoration on, but today his smile was bigger than ever - if that was even possible. "You came!"

"Wouldn't miss whatever is that you have planned, kid," she replied with a smile.

"Good," he replied. "First we'll make our own wreaths,"

"Wreaths? As in plural?" Emma asked, "How many of them?"

"Seven," Henry replied. "It's a magic number,"

"Why would you need seven advent wreath?"

"It's a family tradition," Regina replied. "We have them as well in the enchanted forrest - with the difference that there are seven candles, lighting up one candle every day for a week until the winter solstice,"

As a kid, Regina used to build the wreaths with her father. First, they would chop some branches from their own pine tree, then they'd make the wreaths and decorated them. Of course her mother hated anything to do with the celebrations; it was a waste of time and effort, she used to argue. But as long as Regina didn't skip any of her lectures, Cora was alright letting the girl tagging along with her father in his childish games.

"Fine, seven wreaths it is," Emma agreed and walked with Henry towards the garden.

They didn't stay out for a long time, the gardener had already chopped some branches, and they just had to bring them into the house. Emma was thankful for the garden, it was too cold outside and it was starting to get dark: definitely not the perfect time to climb a tree and cut it's branches.

"So, how exactly do you do a wreath?" the blonde asked once the three of them were sitting at the kitchen table.

"Here, I'll show you," Regina said and walked over to where Emma was sitting. "First you get a big branch, like this one," the brunette grabbed a one meter long branch, "And you close it; top to tail, like a ring," Regina let Emma do it, and the blonde did as se was told.

"Like this?" Emma asked, not sure if she was doing something wrong.

"Yes - like that," Regina nodded, "Now, you tuck a lot of this small branches," the mayor pointed at the branches on the table, "Kind of twisting them around the ring. Like this," she grabbed one and showed Emma how to do it, "And when your wreath is thick enough, you put a ribbon around it, and your done,"

Emma smiled at Regina and continued working on her wreath. Henry was the fastest of them, he was doing his third one when Emma was just finishing her first one. Just like her parents, Regina and Henry hummed christmas songs while they worked on their respective wreaths, it was heartwarming.

The blonde was pretty new to all this Christmas/Winter Solstice holiday, but she was definitely enjoying it.

* * *

A/N: I used make wreaths with my father and brothers every year (my mom was not a b*tch like Cora, tho). It is actually one of my favourite childhood memories. What about you guys? do you have any christmas memory? :D - I just get so excited and happy when christmas is close :D


	17. December 17th

Hi, people!

This chapter is as good as I could do it - I didn't have a lot of time to work on it nor re-read it so sorry for the grammar mistakes. I spent the whole morning in the clinic today because my little brother's tonsils were HUGE. And when our family doctor was checking him, she heard me coughing and insisted on checking me up as well. So, after 5 hours (waiting+check ups) the doctor told us that my brother had tonsillitis and I have bronchitis (Merry Christmas to us!) but she gave us antibiotics and said we should be fine for our saturday trip (Yes! I'm going on a christmas trip! :D).  
And then in the afternoon, well I had to spoil my little baby so we watched our regular 'Love-me,I'm-sick' movies - The lion King and Super Mario Bros FTW :)

That's a huge-ass note..

Hope you guys enjoy it anyways :)

M.

* * *

Emma woke up that day to a snowed Storybrooke. It was the first time Emma had seen the city covered in white, she was kind of excited about it. Like a little child, she dressed up with warm clothes and decided to go outside to see how everything looked after the snow had fallen and be the first one to leave her foot marks everywhere. Every time it snowed, she remembered one of her foster fathers, he used to tell her that snow was nothing more than an unnecessary freezing of water - he didn't like snow, that was the moment when Emma started to dislike him. She was a snow person, maybe it had to do with her mother, but she had always loved to wake up and see a white blanket covering the roofs of the city.

As she walked towards the marina, the blonde saw Neal on the ice rink. He was there with Mr. Gold and Belle. Gold had improved his skating skills since the last time she saw him skate - now he was more time grabbing the rail than on the floor, which was a huge advance. Silently, Emma gathered some snow and made a big ball out it. She aimed at Neal and hit him right in the back of his head.

"Hey!" Neal turned but his face softened when he saw Emma chuckling. "I didn't know you had such a good aiming," he said skating towards her.

Back when they first met, Emma had a horrible aiming. But after her time in jail, she had learned few things about self-defence, shooting was one of them. They were a prerequisite to be a bail bond agent.

"What are you doing here all by yourself?" Neal asked her.

She shrugged, "I wanted to see how the city looks when it snowed,"

"It's still snowing," he pointed out, as if it would change anything, he knew that Emma loved the snow. "Wait for me to change the skates, I'll go for a walk with you,"

Emma nodded and watched Neal skate towards the entrance. "Gold, Belle," she greeted the other two people on the rink, "Nice to see you're doing better, Gold," she pointed out with a smile.

"I have two great teachers," he pointed out and looked at Belle with eyes full of love. Then he saw Neal walking towards the blonde.

"I'll be back for lunch, Papa," Neal said and Gold nodded and continued iceskating with Belle.

Emma and Neal walked away from the rink before the woman started speaking, "I'm glad you're getting better with your father," she pointed out.

The man shrugged "He's trying,"

"So are you," Emma added with a smile, she remembered that Regina had told her about the encounter with Mr. Gold and how the old man wanted Neal to stay for the holidays with him. And since Henry hadn't talked about New York, it could only mean that Neal had decided to stay.

"I'm not following," the man replied, quite confused.

"I'm sure it means a lot to him that you'll stay for the holidays,"

Neal let a laugh out and focused his sight towards the horizon. "Did he told you that?"

"No," Emma confessed. "But Regina talked to him about you and Henry leaving and he said he would talk to you, and since Henry didn't tell us anything else about the trip I thought -,"

"Well, you thought wrong," Neal interrupted her. Not wanting to sound mean but failing at it. "Henry decided to stay because you and Regina are trying,"

"So is Gold,"

"You don't understand," her former boyfriend said.

"What don't I understand?" Emma asked upset. "That your parents abandoned you? That you were alone in this world for a long time?" sarcasm painting her voice tone. "But now you have a second chance, and you are not willing to take it," she poked him with great strength.

Emma stared at the floor, thoughts running through her mind. She had been like that, for a long time, she had refused to believe that Mary Margaret and David were her parents, that Regina was Henry's mother as well, and that Gold was her son's grandfather. But when she had finally embraced that, that whole messed up family tree that she had - she had understood what a treasure it was.

"You are right, I don't understand you," the blonde agreed after a while, "I don't understand how you choose anger over happiness,"

And with that, their conversation was over. They even took different paths to return to the place where they were supposed to be, he walked by the shore towards the ice rink and she walked down the empty streets en route for her parents' apartment.

Emma waited outside for a moment before entering to the warm and cozy place where she now lived with her parents. She remembered all the bitter Christmases she had spend alone, wishing to have someone -_ anyone_; and now she had someone, she had more people than she had even wished for. And it made her happy, truly happy. She couldn't understand why would Neal want to miss out in something like this. She stared at the flakes falling, maybe if the snow didn't stop falling the roads would be closed and Neal wouldn't be able to leave Storybrooke. Maybe she could talk to Gold, hint the idea at him; after all, no one deserved to be alone for Christmas.

The blonde shook her head and laughed. To make a blizzard and sabotage Neal's trip, what a crazy idea. Besides, Gold wouldn't be alone, he'd have Belle. She brushed her hair to remove all the snowflakes that were on her mane and entered to the apartment.

"You're home," Mary Margaret said with a grin, handling a cup to her daughter. The smell of chocolate and cinnamon made the smile on Emma's face widen even more.

Yes, she was home indeed.

* * *

A/N: It snowed! and there are few things I hate more than snow :P The thing that Emma's foster father told her is actually a quote by Carl Reiner and I find it hilarious :D


	18. December 18th

Thanks for all the PMs and reviews :) I already feel better, not thanks to this chapter tho... I promise tomorrow's will be way better :)

Also, I need help. My blackberry's screen died and I didn't do a back up in 4 months (yeah - I'm a retard) and no I've lost all the documents and notes I had saved, which were mostly fanfiction. I tried opening my phone as a normal USB, but it didn't help. Someone knows what I could do? I'm desperate.

M.

* * *

It was still snowing over Storybrooke, and Henry had already caught a cold because he had played outside the whole morning and great deal of the evening with Emma, even if Regina had told them otherwise. Emma also had a running nose, but at least she was not coughing like the kid. So, staying in was the only viable option, unless they wanted to end up with pneumonia or suffer from Regina's wrath.

"Can someone explain once again why did we invite Regina?" David asked his wife. Emma rolled her eyes but left her mother to answer the question.

"Because this it's something we are doing for charity, and Emma and Henry are doing their houses with us," Mary Margaret explained, "I didn't want Regina to be alone,"

"Why do you care so much about her?" The man asked the woman, "It's not like she cares for you,"

"She saved me more than one time, Charming," she tried to reason with him,

"You saved her couple of times too." he replied. "You own her nothing,"

"Ok, then - I invited her because I felt like it and that's the end of it," Mary Margaret added, crossing her arms over her chest and walked out of the kitchen.

Regina came just on time for the holiday activity, and she brought the gingerbread house pieces and a lot of candy to decorate it.

Just like all the other christmassy stuff, it was the first time that Emma build a gingerbread house. She had been really excited at the beginning, but after a couple of minute frustration started to get the best of her. She had already broken three walls and two roofs, luckily Mary Margaret and Regina had baked enough pieces for Emma to break some.

When Emma finally managed to build her house and glue it with the icing so it wouldn't fall apart, she proceeded to put a gingerbread man in front of the house. But she put too much pressure on it and one of the gingerbread man's leg broke.

"I thought Swans were graceful animals." Regina let out with a smirk.

"Yeah, well." Emma said throwing the gingerbread crumbles into the sink. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not an animal."

"Nor graceful," Regina replied, suppressing a smile.

"This is really hard," the blonde ignored Regina's comment and rested her head on her flexed arms as she studied the Mayor's gingerbread house, it was of course flawless. "How can you even do that?"

"Patience, and carefulness," the brunette explained,

"I don't have any of those,"

"In that we agree," Regina stopped decorating her house to stare at Emma's creation. Next to her house, Emma's looked a cardboard box that was used by a kid as his hiding place. "Well, it's your first time," she commented, not knowing any other nice thing to say.

"It's horrible," Emma nodded, agreeing with Regina's thoughts.

"Don't you worry, dear," the mayor tried to cheer her up, "It's for charity, someone will buy it - probably your parents,"

When the gingerbread houses were done, Regina left to get ready for the charity event. Mary Margaret and David also went to take a shower and put on some clean clothes. Disregarding all their complains, Emma and Henry were not allowed to go to the happening due to their health state. Instead Mary Margaret cooked them chicken soup and squished some oranges to make them juice. It sucked to be sick, specially because everyone would be at the event and Henry wanted to be with his friends.

But Mary Margaret didn't change her opinion, and they had nothing else to do but to make peace with the fact that they were not going anywhere. So after setting the food that Mary Margaret had prepared of them on the living room table, the two ill people decided to watch all the Harry Potter movies while their parents had fun.

It was quite an endearing picture. Emma never had anyone to watch the Harry Potter movies with, so when Henry told her that he shared her obsession for the saga, she was ecstatic.

"I'm bored, Emma," Henry pointed out when she stood up to take The Chamber of Secrets out from the DVD and put The Prisoner of Azkaban inside the machine. His grandparents were still at the charity happening.

"Nothing we can do 'bout it, kid," Emma let her body drop next to her son's.

"Let's at least do something fun," he added and then coughed.

"Henry, we are six days away from Christmas," his mother said. "Do you want to be sick for the holidays?"

"No,"

"Good," Emma brushed his hair. "Now go and make more popcorn,"


	19. December 19th

I'm so sorry I didn't update yesterday. Between coughing my lungs out and watching Harry Potter with my brother, time flew :/

I'll try my best to update both yesterday's and today's before the day changes.

As always, sorry for the grammar mistakes!

Loves,

M.

* * *

Mary Margaret's soup had worked like magic. Emma hasn't sick anymore, not even a single symptom. Even Henry's flu was almost gone. _It was almost like a miracle,_ Emma thought. Back when she lived her ordinary life, it would take her at least 5 days to get rid of a cold. Well, there had to be a positive side to be the daughter of Snow White - a woman who had live in the woods for several months, maybe years, and knew all the plants' healing properties. And, the blonde also had to admit it, it had been nice to have someone take care of you while you were sick.

"Henry told me you enjoyed decorating the tree at Regina's." David said entering into her room. Emma nodded, staring at him. He leaned on the door's frame and crossed his arms. "Let's go and get one for us, then!"

"But, they are pretty expensive," Emma pointed out. "Not affordable for a deputy and his teacher-wife salaries,"

"Oh, we are not going to buy it," His daughter raised an eyebrow, silently reminding him that she was the town's sheriff. "We are not going to steal it either," David replied, shocked that Emma would think such thing. "No, we'll go to the woods and cut the perfect one - like I used to do with my mother,"

Emma imagined little David walking with his mother through the woods of the Enchanted Forrest and picking a tree, it was probably covered with snow and she could bet it looked like a scene from a Hallmark movie.

"Why is it that everyone in this town have childhood memories that sound like fairytales?!" She inquired. David stared at Emma wondering if she had asked that question for real or if Emma was being her usual sarcastic self. "Yeah, nevermind - I just realised how stupid that question sounded,"

"I'll tell Henry to come with us," David said stepping into Emma's room. "But he was pretty sick yesterday,"

"Yeah," Emma stood up, "And it will probably be faster if it's just the two of us,"

David nodded and put his coat on. Emma didn't want to admit it, but she was actually excited for the tree hunt. She got into David's trunk trying to hide her emotions, but her father could read right through her - she still didn't know how he did it, they had know each other for not long, but he could already pick everything she felt or thought.

They drove in silence, David occasionally looking to the side, to see Emma's face. She was concentrated in the road and in the trees next to it, trying to find a perfect tree.

"This seems like the right spot," David said parking on the side and turning the machine off.

Father and daughter went out of the car and David took the saw that he had placed on the back of his trunk. They started walking into the woods, David telling Emma about his childhoods with his mother, they didn't sound fancy and expensive like Snow's Winter Solstice party; but the way David told them, and the way his eyes shined made his stories more warming for Emma. She would have loved to meet David's mother, her _grandmother_, the blonde had always wondered how would be to have a grandmother, someone to spoil you.

They reached a clearing in the woods. Emma was quite sure she had never been into that part of the forrest, she would clearly remember since the clearing was one of the most precious views she had seen. David and Emma were surrounded by trees, but in the middle there was nothing but a big rock, probably the snow made it even more magical.

"This is beautiful," the woman whispered,

"Yes," David agreed, "And so is our tree,"

She turned her head to face David, he smiled and pointed at a small tree, right opposite to them. They walked around the rock to reach the pine, it was not taller than David, but it was leafy. The blonde leaned in and breathed the scent, she could get addicted to it.

"This one is perfect," Emma nodded at her father.

Emma held the tree while David chopped it from the ground.

"You know," he said between strokes, "In spring, we'll have to come back and plant three pines," David explained. He finished chopping the tree before continuing, "It's a way to keep balance, and to thank the spirit of the forrest for their kindness,"

"What if you don't plant the trees?" Emma asked, she was still quite skeptical about somethings.

"I don't know," David confessed, he looked taken back by the question - as he if wondered, why hadn't he asked that before. "But I wouldn't like to find out," he added with a smile, "Help me carrying this to the trunk,"

The two people carried their christmas tree back to their trunk. The trip back was far longer than what Emma expected, the snow had covered their steps and Emma didn't have any idea where David was leading her to, for a moment she thought they were lost. She had never been so relieved to see a car as when she saw David's truck.

"Thank you, David," Emma said once they had parked in front of their building, "This was actually really cool," she admitted. She had been silent the whole trip back home, with a huge smile on her face. She revived every moment of their tree hunting over and over again, trying to memorise it. It was probably among the top 5 favorite moments of her life.

"It was my pleasure, Emma,"

They carried the tree into their apartment, where an excited Henry awaited for them.

"This is so cool," he admitted as David, with Emma's help, placed the tree on its base, "I love decorating trees, and now I get to decorate two each year!"

"Help me with these, kid," his grandfather handled him one end of the Christmas lights.

Emma looked at her father and her son decorating the beautiful christmas tree, it reminded her of the best christmas she had while she was a child. "There was this family that took me in for christmas," David stopped putting the christmas lights and stared at his daughter "They made popcorn strings for their tree."

"Well, don't just stand there!" he said with a smile, understanding the hidden message behind Emma's words. "Go and make some popcorns!"

Emma smiled back at him, "Will do," she said as she walked into the kitchen.


	20. December 20th

I suck, I'm aware of that. I've decided I'll stop making promises I won't be able to keep and let's just all pretend I live one day behind real time :D

Either way, tomorrow I'm travelling - since it's a looooong trip I might be able to write and eventually catch up with the fic. Let's see how it all turns :)

Hugs from the past!

M.

* * *

At 9 A.M. Emma entered Granny's with a huge present bag, the blonde was chatting with her mother. They immediately spotted Ashley and Belle at one booth, Ruby was about to have her break, but before they could do the gift exchange, Granny had made the werewolf clean all the tables.

"Sorry it took so long," Ruby said as she slipped into the booth next to Emma. "So, who starts?"

"Me!" Emma jumped excited, "Ok, so... This person is very sweet, a very hard worker and she's kind of sluttie,"

"Hey!" Ruby softly punched Emma's arm. "Don't tell lies, I'm not a hard worker," they all giggled and Emma handled Ruby her present.

Ruby opened it as a child would open his present during christmas morning.

"OMG!" she exclaimed, pulling the pair of red plastic boots out, "These are amazing, Emma!"

"They match with your hood," the blonde pointed out and Ruby hugged her tightly.

The werewolf had always wanted a pair of plastic boots for her late evening walks since Storybrooke was always wet, but they couldn't be bought anywhere in this town. The footwear was just what she needed for her walks under the moon light. And now she finally had them: Emma was the best.

"My turn, then," Ruby added placing a gift bag on the table, "This is for the only I-know-it-all person in the class," they all stared at Belle, she was like the Hermione Granger to their group, "Who also happens to be the kindest person I've ever met," Ruby added and stood up to hug Belle.

"Thank you," Belle said with her peculiar accent and proceeded to open the present. They were three purses, but they looked like book covers - Fashion & Books, it was so like Belle. "I love them!" the librarian stated,

"It is like they made you into a bag," Ruby smirked, secretly glad that Belle had liked the present, she hadn't be quite secure about it.

"It is indeed," Belle smiled back at Ruby. "Now - I got the fairest of them all," the bookworm quoted Mary Margaret's fairy tale. "Who doesn't only have a pretty face but a heart of gold,"

"Aw, Belle!" the teacher and the librarian hugged. "thank you for those kind words,"

"I mean them," Belle added and gave a wrapped box to Mary Margaret.

The teacher opened it carefully, trying not to tear the paper, it was driving Ruby insane. After Mary Margaret had removed the paper, she opened the cardboard box and looked inside of it. She stayed in silence, her mouth forming an o. Belle smiled at Mary Margaret's reaction, she knew that the black haired woman had liked the present. Mary Margaret's expression just made Ruby even more curious about the present, so she took the box and saw inside of it. There were three books, apparently glued together; but they were not just normal books, they were actually a machine: a clock. It was a clock in the shape of three books. It was pretty cool, even for a person that didn't like books, like Ruby.

"I - I don't even know what to say," Mary Margaret admitted after a while. "Thank you, I love it!" the teacher added with a smile. "Now, the person I give to taught me that you can achieve anything, if you dream you can," Mary Margaret looked at Ashley,

"Making a deal with Rumpelstiltskin helps as well," the Cinderella's Storybrooke's alter-ego teased her friend and the five women laughed before Mary Margaret gave Ashley her present.

As soon as Ashley opened it she started to jump excitedly and clap her hands with enthusiasm, "Oh, Snow!" she said, "They are perfect,"

"Let us see!" Ruby pretended to give an order. Ashley showed them the charm bracelet that she had just received, it had three pendants: a high heel, a heart and little girl. The pendants represented important moments of her life.

"I'm glad you like it,"

"More than like, I love it," Ashley replied. "Well, we all know who I got," they all turned to glare at Emma, who smiled shyly due to the sudden interest in her, "She's one of the most caring and loving persons I've ever met, even if she says she doesn't know how to have relationships. I'm glad to have you as a friend, Emma,"

Ashley's speech had touch Emma's heart. The sheriff still didn't know why, but they had been kind words. Less than three years ago she had been alone, and now she had people who actually liked to have her around. No one who hasn't been alone could understand Emma's feelings. Ashley handled Emma her present. Emma looked at her secret santa for a moment before opening her gift. It has a swiss army pocket knife.

Emma raised her gaze from the knife to Ashley "I noticed you didn't have one," Ashley said shyly, "And you are the town's sheriff, for god's sake!"

"Thanks, but this - " Emma saw at her present, "It's too expensive,"

"And you deserve every cent I spent on it," Ashley replied, "You've were really nice and extremely helpful back when I was pregnant with Alexandra, and I never got the chance to thank you," the blonde explained to the other blonde, "So this is me, being thankful,"

"You're very welcome," Emma hugged Ashley.

Before Ruby's break was over she brought hot cocoa for the girls. Special cinnamon order for Mary Margaret and Emma. "This was awesome, guys," the waitress commented giving a slip to her drink, "We should make a tradition out of it," they all smiled and silently agreed with Ruby's idea.


	21. December 21st

I'm one the plane people! it has wifi! free wifi! this is the coolest thing EVER.

The information about this traditions I took from Baltic and Scandinavian folklore, I made a mix of what I like the most and put it around the Enchanted Forest world - but yeah, all of these ideas belong to the people from the North :P

Overly excited,

M.

* * *

The blizzard had turned into a horrible hailing storm. The snow and ice had blocked every pathway in and out of Storybrooke, Neal had tried them all, and in each and every single on of them he had found his path obstructed - it was as if someone wanted him to stay in Storybrooke, he started to understand Ruby and Ashley and all the people that wanted to escape from the town but couldn't for some inexplicable reason. So, to his disgrace, he was stuck in the town with his father for the Christmas. Maybe if it stopped hailing soon, he'd be able to go to New York for New Year's.

Not far away from the town's border, his car stopped working. He went out and checked the machine: his engine was dead. It was official: it couldn't get worse - at least he hoped so.

Covering his head with an old newspaper, he made his way back to his father shop. But Neal met his father outside, near to the ice rink. He had no intention on skating, tho; he was using magic, with Regina's help.

"What it's going on here?" he asked. Both, wizard and witch turned to face him.

"Bae, I thought you were gone,"

"Yeah, well - it turns out all the roads are blocked," the younger man pointed out. "You have nothing to do with that, haven't you?"

"No, I didn't do anything," the dark wizard replied, honestly painting his voice tone.

"What are you doing?"

"Well, even if we took most of this world's traditions, we're trying to keep some of our old ones,"

"The Yule dance?" Neal asked, not trying to hid the excitement on his voice. The other two nodded. "That is awesome, I always loved that tradition."

"It was supposed to be outside," Regina explained, "But, well - I guess I don't have to explain you the reasons why I can't no longer be open air,"

Storybrooke's mayor was obviously referring to the weather. It was one thing to do the Yule dance with dry weather, or even if it was snowing; but when it was hailing? It was not a good idea.

Regina and Mr. Gold took Neal silence as a permission to continue, so they kept on using magic to create a dome. Neal watched them work without interrupting anymore. At least they were using their magic for something good, it was not what he wanted his father to do, but it was a start. And secretly, Neal was glad he was able to witness his father's change of behaviour.

Every Storybrooke resident was invited to the celebration; but no one was as excited as Emma and Henry, it was after all their first Yule dance.

"_Yule_ means _wheel_ in our old language," Mary Margaret explained to her daughter and grandson as they made their way into the dome. "The name was given because we sat or danced around the bonfire."

Mary Margaret's eyes got lost in the flames and her thoughts lost in her past. She remembered most of her Yule dances, the happy and the sad ones; how the people from the village would get together, eat and drink around the fire, tell stories about heroes and princesses. Places would be left empty for the souls of the people that passed away during that year, it was a way to say the last goodbye to them - she remembered the year her mother's soul had an empty seat, it was the worse Yule dance of her life, she had cried the whole night.

"The fire is kept burning until dawn," Mary Margaret continued explaining, "To end the unhappiness of the year. It was also believed that if the fire extinguished, the days would become more and more short, until we live in the darkness,"

"But of course, they were all fairy tales to us," A voice spoke, the three Charmings turn around to realise that Regina was right behind them.

"You have outdone yourself, Regina," Mary Margaret payed the mayor a compliment, "It looks just like the enchanted forest," she added. It was true, Rumple and Regina hadn't just built a dome. They also recreate all the environment inside it; expect the cold weather, it was rather nice in the inside.

"It feels like home, doesn't it?" Regina agreed with a question. Mary Margaret nodded in response. "Well, I think Blue is about to start a story, shall we find some seats?" she asked again, this time the three Charmings nodded and followed the Mayor to the bonfire.

"I'm glad you decided to preserve some of our traditions," Mary Margaret told Regina after they sat one next to the other one.

"Me too," her former stepmother replied with a smile.

Maybe the myths were true, maybe the fire would take away all the unhappiness and help rekindling their relation, everyone's relations.


	22. December 22nd

I know, I suck. Now I'm two days behind...

Thanks for all the reviews!

M.

* * *

Emma stopped and looked up at the building that she had in front of her: Storybrooke's high school. It even looked more frightening at night. It was the high school's christmas fair to recollect money and build a new auditorium and the sheriff had promised her mother that she would help. Now that she was in front of the building, she wasn't so sure about keeping her promise. But, Henry's class had a cookie stand and Mary Margaret couldn't do it all by herself.

She took her time to gather the courage to enter into the building, she was late anyway and she knew Mary Margaret would shoot her a disappointed glare as soon as they meet each other. Emma took a breath, pushed the entrance door and walked in.

The blonde found herself in the middle of a crowded hallway, filled with teenagers. Some she knew from arresting them due to underage drinking, but most of the young adults were complete strangers to her. It still intimitade her: high school. She had hated it as a teenager and the feeling had not changed during the years. A bunch of hormonal guys and pushy wannane girls that would do anything on their power to make you feel less, to make you feel as if you are not enough. Definitely, not for her.

_Get a grip, woman!_ she told herself _You are a grown up and the sheriff, no one will bully you_.

"There you are, Emma!" the blonde turned around to see Mary Margaret walking towards her, "I've been looking for you like crazy,"

"Sorry," Emma replied, not in the mood to invent a lie.

"Come, come," Mary Margaret showed her daughter the way. "We need all the help we can get,"

Henry's class had a small stand that was selling cookies. There was only one woman, besides Mary Margaret, working and a lot of hungry kids that wanted to buy their food.

"Ok," the blonde said standing between Mary Margaret and the other woman, "What should I do?"

"All the cookies cost one dollar," the woman explained. "If they buy three cookies, they get one free," she added, "That's pretty much it,"

One cookie, one dollar. It was not that hard. Besides, with the velocity that the kids bought their cookies, she wouldn't be there for a long time; Emma had already sold more than twenty cookies, and all to the same three kids. Their parents would regret giving them money for cookies when the kids have a sugar rush at their bedtime. Emma silently thanked God that Henry was not eating sugar, she needed a good night sleep and having a hyperkinetic kids didn't help.

"Mom, there they are!" Emma heard Henry's voice. The blonde turned to see her kid pulling his mother and walking towards them.

"Emma," the mayor greeted her

"Regina," the blonde replied with the same tone that Regina had used. At least Regina had called her Emma, the sheriff thought, so she changed her voice to a friendlier tone. "Do you want to buy cookies?"

Henry nodded and asked his mother for money. After he had his cookies, he left his mothers and went to hang out with his friends, the three kids that had ate too much sugar for their own good. Regina leaned on the wall and stared at her kid, realising how grown he was.

"What's up?" Emma asked, standing next to her.

"He has grown up," she pointed out, Emma nodded in approval. Henry was not only few inches taller than when the blonde had met him, but he also looked more like a man and less like a kid. "Soon he'll be in high school,"

"That he will,"

"Is this place really was bad as people say it is?" Regina asked, obviously referring to being high school.

Emma shifted her eyes from Regina, who looked actually worried, to Henry, who was still talking to the three kids, "Nah, it's not that bad,"

"Don't lie to me, Miss Swan," the mayor returned to her usually stoic voice tone.

Emma studied Regina's face, the mayor had never experienced high school - they were that lucky at the enchanted forrest. She exhaled and decided to go with the truth, Regina needed to be prepared for when Henry started high school. "Fine, it is horrible," the blonde agreed, "worse than whatever you have heard."

"Were you bullied?" The blonde didn't answer the question, she didn't want to show one of her weak points to Regina. Bullying had been one of the reasons why she had quit high school. "Was it that bad?"

"He'll be fine," Emma said after a while.

"Why are you so sure?"

"I don't think anyone will mess with the Evil Queen's son," the blonde teased the mayor, and a little smile appeared on Regina's face. "Besides, for me it was bad because no one really care for me. Henry has a whole army behind him," the blonde added. "I'll personally burn this building if someone treats him as half as bad as they treated me, I promise,"

It was true, she wouldn't let anyone hurting Henry. Emma had to make her way through high school alone, and she wouldn't let Henry to have the same experience. She was up to lose her job, even end up in jail and with a huge debt. But Henry wouldn't endure bulling alone.

"We'll burn it together," Regina agreed, letting Emma know that she wouldn't be alone during the consequences of her act if something happened to Henry. It felt good, to know that she was not alone. Emma smiled at Regina.

"We sold every single cookie," Mary Margaret said to both of them. "We can go home now," she told Emma. "See you for Christmas Eve?" she then asked Regina.

Regina nodded. "We'll be there at 8,"

Mary Margaret hugged Regina, who was shocked by the act; then linked arms with Emma and left the high school.


	23. December 23rd

Let's see if I can speed things up so I can update yesterday's and today's chapter today :)

Hugs,

M.

* * *

Mary Margaret found Belle having an internal fight over which kind of meat she should buy for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The librarian looked distressed, as if she was having a hard time.

"Need help?" Mary Margaret asked her friend with a smile.

"Neal wasn't able to leave the town," Belle explained, "So now we are having Christmas together - he tries to pretend he's not happy, but I can see below that tough appearance, he's just like his father."

"And what's the problem, then?"

"I have never cooked a Christmas meal before," she said, "I don't know what to do. I've must have read more than ten books, but they don't seem to help,"

Mary Margaret chuckled. "Why don't you all come over and celebrate with us?" the teacher asked. "You can help me with the kitchen and learn at the same time,"

"Really?" Belle asked, her eyes shinning, "You would have us for christmas?"

Mary Margaret nodded. "We are family after all,"

The two ladies continued talking and doing the shopping, planning all the details for next day's dinner and christmas day. The also remembered with great fondness their time at the enchanted forest. For Mary Margaret it was easy to talk to Belle, they both grew up in Castle and she didn't feel like a snob when they shared their stories. It was different with Ruby, even if the werewolf was Mary Margaret's best friend; Mary Margaret always felt like an arrogant when she told Ruby her stories.

"We'll have fish for christmas eve, and turkey for christmas day," Mary Margaret explained to her friend. "In some countries it is a tradition to have a very simple dinner on christmas eve since Christ's family was very poor when the baby was born," the teacher said, Belle nodded as if she knew what Mary Margaret was talking about, "And then on Christmas day there's a big feast to celebrate it's birthday, which also means hope and new beginning for Christians for some reason, couldn't really tell you why," she stopped talking and trying to find a reason behind the religious traditions,

"Either way," Mary Margaret continued talking after a while, "I think it's a nice holiday, specially because everyone comes together," she kept putting food inside her shopping cart. "We're going to be a great deal of people this year," the teacher added with a smile.

She loved having people over, as a kid and as a grown up. Having people come together to celebrate a holiday, any holiday, was one of the biggest happiness for her. Mary Margaret and Belle walked down the shops aisles as they talked and put in the cart cranberries, potatoes, flour and sugar to bake cookies, and other ingredients for the meal they would cook.

"What about apple cider?" Belle asked. "I read it is a traditional thing here in the Sta-" she stopped talking when she saw Mary Margaret's face.

"I rather pass on the apple cider,"

"Right," the librarian said, remembering Mary Margaret's story with apples and Regina. "Do you think she'll bring, though?"

"Regina?" Belle nodded, "I don't know, maybe," Mary Margaret admitted. "Emma likes it, so I don't see why not..."

True to be told, she didn't want to have a slip of the apple cider because it was made of apple, not because it was made by Regina. Mary Margaret had eaten a lot of food made by Regina after the curse was broken, at first she was a little bit skeptic about it, but with time it became more and more comfortable, specially because Regina was really good at cooking. Apples, on the other side - after the sleeping potion she haven't been able to eat them, same happened with Henry. It made her sick for some reason.

"So," Belle brought her back to reality when they were paying the things, "At what time should I be at your place tomorrow?"

"Morning, maybe?" she replied. "Around nine, to have everything done by lunch time?"

"Sound great!" the librarian said with a smile.

After helping Mary Margaret to carry the goods to her apartment, Belle left the teacher with the promise to come back the next day. The beauty was thrilled to be taught something new, learning new things had always make her happy. Besides, she was going to celebrate her first christmas! And with a huge family. Just like Mary Margaret, she loved family reunions. She could barely wait for the christian holiday.


	24. December 24th

Merry Christmas to y'all!

Next chapter will be up tomorrow, and it will also be the last one.

Hugs and warm wishes!

Mara.

* * *

Belle had help David and Mary Margaret on the kitchen the whole morning and part of the afternoon, she even had lunch with the Charming family. Emma and Henry had done the boring stuff: cleaning. The younger members of the family were not very happy with their tasks, but they didn't have much choice since their cooking skills were not the best. Around 5 p.m, Belle had left to get cleaned up for the Christmas dinner.

Their guests had come on time, just as Mary Margaret had expected. People that grew up at the Enchanted Forest were punctual people, it had to do with a folk tale that was told by parents to their kids. It told the story of John, the boy that was never on time; one day John missed the coach and had to walk to school, during his walk an evil witch kidnapped him and ate him for supper. The parents would finish the story telling their kids that if there were not on time for their appointments, the evil witch would kidnap them and they would suffer John's fate.

There was only one person missing, the only grown up that didn't spend time at the fairy tale land: Emma. The blonde was still getting ready when all the guests arrived.

"Emma!" Mary Margaret called her from her room's door. "Everyone's here,"

"Damn," she commented putting her heels, she had cleaned up for the occasion. "I'll be there in a minute, or two,"

"Don't lie, Emma," her mother said with a smirk, "You still have to do your make up,"

"I'll be fast,"

Mary Margaret left her daughter to it and went back to their guests.

When Emma was ready they all sat around the tables. The debated if they should pray, to be true to the real traditions behind the holidays they were celebrating, but none of the Enchanted Forest characters knew how to do it. They all turned their heads to Emma and Neal, the only two people who grew up under this world's influence since Henry had been raised by Regina.

"Oh," Emma said upon realising what their glares meant, "No, I never said a prayer in my life,"

"Yeah - me neither," Neal stated.

Mary Margaret, who was watching at the two of them, shifted her glare to David "How do we do this then?"

Before anyone could suggest something, Henry stood up and started talking. "I'll say some words, if everyone is ok with it," no one tried to stop him. "I want to thank, who ever is up there that responsible for this, for having my family together for the holidays. It means a great deal to me," everyone smiled at the kid, "And I also want to thank Belle and Mary Margaret for the food,"

"Hey!" David said, pretending to be offended. "I also helped,"

"By eating what they cooked," Henry pointed out and Mary Margaret and Belle agreed after laughing. "Let's eat!" the kid said and sat between his mothers.

If someone would have told Emma less than five years ago that she would be celebrating christmas with her family, who happened to include the Beauty, Rumpelstiltskin, Snow White, Prince Charming and the Evil Queen, Emma would have asked the person in which types of drugs he was on. But now it seemed almost normal to her. She stared at Neal, who seemed to be thinking the same thing, and smiled at him - he was the only person who almost understand how crazy this whole situation must sound to a normal person. _Almost._

"I have a request." Henry said once they were done with the dessert. All the grown ups looked at him. "I want to take a family picture, with all of you, because you are _all_ my family." Belle was the most touched by the kid's speech, she placed her hands over her heart.

"That is such a sweet thing to say, Henry." The kid smiled at her.

"I already planned the places were each will be," he stood up. "Come on!"

The adults stood up, not with the enthusiasm that Henry and Belle had, but they didn't want to let the kid down. "Ok, I'll be sitting here." he showed the middle of the sofa. "Mom, you'll sit to my right." He seated Regina. "Emma, you'll be to my left."

Emma sat, leaving a space for Henry between her and Regina.

"Now, Neal: you, Belle and Mr. Gold will be behind Regina."

The three of them walked to the spot where Henry had placed them. Neal was not very happy to be standing next to his father, so Belle decided to stand between them.

"David and Mary Margaret, you go behind Emma."

As the last two people took their places Henry placed the camera in a tripod a set the timer. The kid put the timer on, and after pressing the button her ran towards the sofa and sat between his two moms. "Don't forget to smile!" he said as the flash light blinked faster.

_Click._

As soon as the sound announced that the camera had snapped a picture, most of Henry's family moved from their places and walked towards the table.

"Hey, kid!" Neal, who was the only one who stayed with Henry said. "Show me that photo."

Henry handled him the camera. "I think we look awesome."

"Yes," Neal said after staring at the picture for a while. "We almost look like a real family."

"I think you should talk to your dad, dad." The kid pointed out. "We don't choose our family, and we have to accept them as who they are, because at the end, they are the people that will support you through everything, right?" Henry said, looking at Neal.

"I suppose," his father shrugged, but something told the kid that Neal agreed with him.

"Besides, it's christmas, the time to forgive and be forgiven. Look at my mom and Emma."

They both stared at Henry's adoptive and biological mothers. "Maybe you are right kid." Neal said messing with Henry's hair.

"I'm always right."

"Yeah, you got that trait from me." Neal smiled at him. "And don't let her tell you otherwise." he gestured at Emma.


	25. December 25th

This is the end, people.

I started writing this story just to share some of the christmas spirit, but the feedback I got from you guys was amazing and beyond everything I expected! I'd like to thank to everyone that read and reviewed, for all the favs and follows, for sharing your family traditions and memories with me. It meant a lot to me.

I hope you all had a wonderful christmas, or at least that it didn't suck too much.

Hugs,

Mara.

* * *

Henry woke up early that day. "Mom, mom!" he screamed running towards Regina's room. "It's Christmas!"

Regina muttered something that sounded very similar to "I know," and went back to sleep.

"Mom!" Henry tried to get his mother out of bed. It was pointless.

Then an idea hit him, maybe Regina wouldn't get up and play with him, but that didn't mean his mother wouldn't, since he had two of them. So the kid grabbed his mother's phone and dialled Emma's phone.

"Regina?" a sleepy Emma picked up.

"Do you want to build a snowman?"

"Henry," Emma replied, obviously realising that Regina wouldn't be calling to see if she wanted to play in the snow, "it's nine a.m,"

"Please, Emma!" the kid insisted.

Emma stayed quiet for a while, so quiet that Henry thought she had fallen asleep again. "Fine, fine," he heard his mother say on the other side of the phone, "I'll be there in five,"

Henry ran down the hallway towards his room to get dressed; and then down stairs, towards the christmas tree, where all his presents were pilled up. Santa had brought him five presents this year, he didn't care much about it, though. The only thing he cared about was the thing he had wished for and Saint Nicholas lived up to the fame that Mary Margaret had spoken about: all his family had been together for Christmas Eve and they would all be together again for lunch.

The door bell didn't wake Regina up; neither did her alarm, Henry had switched it off when he first came to wake his mother up. She stared at the clock next to her bed, it marked 11 a.m. The mayor couldn't remember when was the last time she had stayed in bed past 9 a.m. She had to get ready, soon she and Henry would have to go to the Charmings' apartment for their christmas lunch; last night hadn't been so horrible after all, she even had a good time with Neal and Gold.

Regina sat on the edge of her bed and called Henry to see if the kid was awake but got no response; so the mayor decided to stand up from the bed and see where her kid was hiding. She didn't find him in his room nor playing with the things that Santa had brought him, after looking for her son all over the place she started to panic, then heard giggles coming from the garden. Regina pushed the curtains wide open to find Henry building not just _a_ snowman, but an army of them, with Emma.

Regina smiled and opened the window. "You two are really eager to catch pneumonia or something worse," she told them, "Inside, now,"

Reluctantly, Henry and Emma followed Regina's order. It was probably for the best; the two of them were shivering and their pants were wet. Henry's adoptive mother was drinking coffee when Henry and Emma met with her in the kitchen. She waiting with two mugs of hot chocolate, with cinnamon, for them to drink. Together they walked towards the living room and sat on a couch, Henry between his mothers.

"Aren't you going to open your presents, kid?" Emma asked him staring at his presents under the tree.

"I already got everything I wished for." Henry replied looking at Emma and then at Regina. Saint Nicholas had made his wish come true and that was everything he needed.

"Well, we got something for you," Regina told Henry and placed a present on his lap. "We did some modifications, but we hope you like it,"

"You got me a present? Together?" he asked a little bit confused. Both woman nodded. "Great," Henry added with a smile and proceeded to tear the paper that wrapped his gift.

It was a silver tree that had picture frames on its branches. It was Henry's family tree.

"This is the coolest family tree ever," he pointed out.

"We didn't go further than your grandparents because it's complicated enough like this," Emma pointed out. They had decided they wouldn't go more distant than Gold, David and Mary Margaret.

"And the pictures move!" Henry added with excitement, "Just like in Harry Potter,"

Each frame had a picture that Regina had enchanted, so the person in the picture would move - it had been Emma's idea to make it look like something from the Wizard's world that had caught Henry's attention.

"That was Emma's idea," Regina stated.

"But it was Regina's work," Emma said, "No way I'm taking all the credit for that,"

"Mom, momma, this was the best gift you could ever get me," the kid said hugging his two mothers. "You are the best,"

Emma smiled, more to herself than anybody else. Henry didn't call her momma often, but when he did everything that she had gone through since the day that he came looking for her was more than worth it.

"Now, we have to get ready, Henry," Regina said breaking the hug after a while. "Lunch at your grandparents is in less than 10 minutes,"

They managed to on time for lunch. And it had been all thanks to Regina, had Emma been on charge they would have been late, really late. Mary Margaret gave her daughter a scornful look when she saw Emma, with wet pants and messy hair, entering through the apartment's door.

"Emma Swan," the young mother said. "Next time you leave without leaving a note -"

"You'll ground me," Emma interrupted her mother with a grin from ear to ear, "I'll like to see you trying to keep me in this apartment,"

"Is that a challenge I hear?" David came with a smile that matched his daughter, he obviously was not angry at his daughter and wasn't really concerned about Emma sneaking out either. "Merry Christmas to y'all, once again,"

Without wasting too much time on Emma's scold, the Nolans and the Mills walked to the living room table, were the Golds were already sitting. Emma noticed that Neal and his father were having an amicable conversation, it made her even more happy. It seemed like they were mending their relationship, the blonde knew it wouldn't change overnight, but this was definitely a good start.

In addition to the guests that had been the night before with them, Mary Margaret had invited Granny and Ruby for lunch. Christmas day was the only day that Granny took off, and since they had not more family and Mary Margaret considered them part of her owns, she had extended an invitation to the two ladies. The arrived some minutes after Regina, Emma and Henry made their appearance.

"Wow," Ruby said when she entered into the living room and saw everyone, "How many people can you fit in this apartment?"

Mary Margaret chucked. "Well, it get's crowded around christmas."


End file.
